Scorpion stings are very frequent in Tunisia; yet a method for evaluating envenoming severity and consequently victim treatment, has never been adequately established nor has its efficiency been properly evaluated. Indeed, a management of envenomed patients requires the optimization of envenoming antivenom immunotherapy. This task requires either, an accurate evaluation of toxicokinetic paramet...

Stings from scorpions (Buthus tamulus) produce acute myocarditis and can result in death in children and adults. Acute myocarditis was induced in anaesthetised dogs by intravenous injection of 4 mg/kg venom (Buthus tamulus). Myocarditis was confirmed by ECG. Blood was collected before and 30 minutes after venom treatment and processed for osmotic fragility. An increase in osmotic fragility of r...

The potassium channel Kv 1.3 plays a vital part in the activation of T lymphocytes and is an attractive pharmacological target for autoimmune diseases. BmP02, a 28-residue peptide isolated from Chinese scorpion (Buthus martensi Karsch) venom, is a potent and selective Kv1.3 channel blocker. However, the mechanism through which BmP02 recognizes and inhibits the Kv1.3 channel is still unclear. In...

Intraplantar (i.pl.) injection of BmK I, a receptor site 3-specific modulator of voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs) from the venom of scorpion Buthus martensi Karsch (BmK), was shown to induce long-lasting and spontaneous nociceptive responses as demonstrated through experiments utilizing primary thermal and mirror-imaged mechanical hypersensitivity with different time course of development ...

BACKGROUND Scorpion venom is important and rich source of peptides, most of which have been widely used as pharmacological tools for unraveling structure-function relationship of various ion channels. Naturally occurring toxins can be also considered as lead compounds in the development of novel drugs. OBJECTIVES In this context, the scorpion-derived peptide neurotoxins specific to sodium cha...

Iranian scorpions belong mainly to the Buthidae and Scorpionidae families, distributed into 16 genera and 25 species. In Iran, similar to other parts of the world, there are a few known species of scorpions responsible for severe envenoming; amongst which Mesobuthus eupeus is the most common. Its venom contains several toxin fractions that may affect the ion channel. In the present study purifi...